Has anyone seen an aluminum heater core for the camaros? If so where can i pick one up?

 

so i guess there isnt one?

 

i think they are all made with aluminium tubing. thats just my 2 cents

 

Is there a particular reason for wanting an aluminum one? I doubt they would be any better than a brass/copper core and nobody would really ever see it.

 

I wanna try to weld on an aluminum an fitting so i could run stainless lines and needed an aluminum tube to weld to on the core.

 

i think aluminum is easier for heat to radiate through. like a brass one would be tough. and i think the alcohol in the coolant would be corrosive to the pipes if it was made of copper, but i am not sure.

 

well well well, i might make your day here.

i have never seen an aluminum heater core for anything, however the stock one is copper, so you can solder copper fittings onto the core. I did it.

IIRC The small one is 5/8od the larger is 3/4od copper, fitting for the 3/4 are a little odd, need to visit a real plumbing supply, or refrigeration place.

You need to cut the bumps off the tubing where they come into the engine bay to get the copper smooth so you can get the fitting on, then find the fittings, in a 90 degree bend with female threads on the other side. Make sure you clean the tubing very well, use good flux, and solder the two 90 degree fitting adapters on at approximately a 45 degree angle towards the passenger-side of the car, the two should be pointing down and keep to either side of that ground stud that it right there that also holds the heater box to the fire wall, look you will see it.

then adapt to AN lines, a 1/2" npt x 10an straight flare adapter, then a swivel 45" fitting to clear around the valve cover and shoot the hose over to the strut tower.

Pics!!!

here is an older pic, i played with the colors so you can see a little better




you can see that ground stud i mentioned in this last pic, the two hoses saddle the stud.


they are a little blurry but you get the idea, just be careful to keep the torch heat away from the firewall if you do this with the box installed, dont want to start a fire under the dash.

I assume, if you removed the box from the car and soldered the fittings on, you could do it a little differently, but this worked very well.

this all fits tightly, but doesn't rub, i dont know if this will work with an A/C box, im just running a heater only box.

if you need more pics, or some other info, i can get it.

-Phil

 

Thats exactly what i wanted to do and i even think i saw your pictures somewhere else on this bord. Do you think i would have a problem reducing the AN sizes down to -8 on both the inlet and outlet? I dont see how the heater core would need to flow so much coolant to need -10 and -12 lines

Also i will be doing this while replacing my heater core, because it went south. Do you think i could solder the fittings on before i install the heater core?

On a side note, do you have a long or short water pump, i ask because i would love to have an alt, bracket like you have in your pic. I fab'd one up for my motor but every time i start the motor up cold the alt. belt howls. Thanks!

 

its a long pump, and a March mid-mount bracket.

I used 10 because the "barbed" end of the AN fittings reduces the ID of the hose, and since the original hoses were 1/2 and 5/8 ID, i figured i would use the -10 lines, i dont see why -8 would hurt, but -10 is a good size and looks right, i think -8 would look a little small and out of place. I only uses -10, i didnt use -12.

Im not sure these 90 degree fittings would fit through the firewall, i would see if you can use a straight fitting, or solder 90's on with the box installed.

 

i guess i could solder on straight fittings and then use a 90 degree on the end of my stainless line. Since i dont do alot of soldering i figured it would be alot easier to do it with the box out of the car since im replacing it anyways. Esp. with the engine in and tall valve covers.